If You Were Me and Lived In....South Korea

$8.99

If You Were Me and Lived in…South Korea

Carole P. RomanCreateSpace (2013)ISBN 9781481062343

Reviewed by Christine Watson for Reader Views (7/13)

“If You Were Me and Lived in…South Korea” by Carole P. Roman is a great children’s story that highlights some interesting facts and places in South Korea that will educate people of all ages. I learned many new things about South Korea and enjoyed the book.

Roman brings to life the culture and everyday living of a typical South Korean, sharing the location of South Korean on the Asian continent, and mentioning the capital city of Seoul. She talks about what children may be named and what toys they may enjoy playing with, along with how they pay for items, comparing the won to the dollar. Mommy and Daddy are well known in the United States and Roman shares what parents are called in South Korea. With these simple facts, the author is able to connect with young children because she is talking with language familiar to them in their limited world.

This book provides local South Korean places that children would enjoy, as well as activities like Taekwondo that young people can engage in both in South Korea and here in the U.S. Family life is mentioned and the author talks about the great respect children have for their elders, particularly their grandparents. One extremely helpful part of the book is the end where Roman lists a pronunciation guide for the words and names she uses in the book.

As a former educator, I would have definitely wanted this book in my collection for students young and old. I learned a great deal about South Korea and enjoyed the story as well as illustrations. “If You Were Me and Lived in…South Korea” by Carole P. Roman was light-hearted and fun to read and I think children of all ages would not only enjoy this book, but learn some new facts as well.